This list of publishers meet our guiding principles, but are only open to free submissions from historically underrepresented writers or focus on publishing content produced by historically underrepresented writers. Some of these publications are open to a wide range of writers including writers of color, gender non-conforming and LGBTQ+ writers, and those living with disabilities. Some have limited definitions and are only interested in work by Black authors. We try to make it as clear as possible who the publisher is seeking work from. Sometimes the focus of the press is limited, even though there are no limitations on who can submit. A few of the opportunities are also limited by geography, again, we try to make this clear.
If you belong to a limited demographic that is not listed here, this list might be helpful to you.
As long as a press/opportunity/journal is open to submissions we will continue to list it, so some of the content on the list is new, some overlaps from the previous month. This article is an ongoing collaborative effort by Emily Harstone and S. Kalekar. NmaHassan Muhammad has also contributed six of thee opportunities for this month’s list and we are grateful for his work. Please send us an email at support@authorspublish.com if you have any feedback or an opportunity/journal/publisher, to recommend.
Every month we highlight a different organization that focuses on helping support underrepresented authors. This month we are focusing on We Need Diverse Books and are specifically encouraging any US-based person actively involved in the education system, to look into the possibility of applying for the Books Save Lives Grant on behalf of a school near them.
Journals/Magazines
Lightspeed
This magazine publishes science fiction and fantasy. They have BIPOC-only submission windows, 24-31 March for short fiction (1,500-10,000 words, up to 5,000 wprds preferred); short fiction submissions for all writers are open 1-7 April. The BIPOC-only window for flash fiction (up to 1,500 words) is 24-31 May, and flash submissions for all writers are open 1-7 June 2023. They also accept translations. They pay $0.08/word. Please submit your work only during the reading periods.
African American Review
John Hopkins University Press publishes this “aggregation of insightful essays on African American literature, theatre, film, the visual arts, and culture; interviews; poetry; fiction; and book reviews,” on a quarterly basis. They close to submissions on May 1st.
Nightlight
This is a horror fiction podcast featuring Black writers all over the world (at least one of your birth parents must be Black). They also accept reprints (see guidelines). Their reading periods this year are: March for flash fiction (750-1,500 words, pays $0.05/word), and April, June, August, and October for short fiction (3,000-6,000 words pays $200). The deadline is 31 March 2023 for flash fiction. Please send your work in the appropriate genres only during the specific reading periods.
They want fun speculative fiction; stories must have elements of science fiction or fantasy. They pay $0.03/word for stories up to 5,000 words. They will open submissions on 15th March for the August issue, and the first week of their submission period will be reserved for writers of color. The reading periods are: 15-21 March for writers of color; 22 March-15 April 2023 for all writers.
Haven Speculative
They publish science fiction and fantasy – fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. They accept submissions through the year; every alternate month, they accept submissions only from underrepresented writers. The publish climate-crisis focused work twice a year, in their Dry (published in March) and Wet (published in September) issues. They have extensive guidelines, including on the special issues. Send up to 6,000 words for fiction, up to 3,000 words for nonfiction, or up to 5 poems. Pay is $0.01/word for prose, and $50-10 for poetry. The reading period for submissions from underrepresented writers is 1-31 March 2023, as well as the months of May, July, September, and November.
FIYAH: Carnival
This speculative fiction magazine only takes submissions by and about Black writers from Africa and the African Diaspora (see guidelines). For non-fiction, they want queries only. They also publish reviews. For the Carnival theme, “It’s Carnival time! Bring us your colorful stories centered on the mystique and pulsating energy of the bacchanals, the festivals, the soca fetes, and jamborees from all across the globe, time, space, and even the multiverse. We want intoxicating merriment, daring mischief-making, and chaotic melodrama fueled by the riotous revelry of the Carnival.” Length guidelines are 2,000-15,000 words for fiction, up to 1,000 words for poetry, 800-1,200 word for nonfiction, and pay is $0.08/word for fiction, $50 for poetry, $0.10/word for nonfiction. The deadline is 31 March 2023.
LatineLit
This is a fiction magazine and they accept stories by Latinx writers only. Their website says, “LatineLit promotes fiction by and about Latinx people. We publish short stories, though we might consider publishing longer works in serialized form. We are looking for works that are primarily written in English, though we expect there will often be other languages imbedded in these stories.” Pay is $100 for stories up to 6,000 words. They have ongoing submissions. Details here and here.
The Healing Muse
This is the annual journal of literary and visual art published by SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Center for Bioethics & Humanities. They publish narratives, memoirs, fiction, poetry, and art, particularly but not exclusively focusing on themes of medicine, illness, disability and healing. They accept prose up to 2,500 words. The deadline is 15 April 2023. They also have a poetry prize for medical students and physicians, of $250.
The Hopper
This established environmental literary journal is open to BIPOC submissions only for its latest issue. This is what they have to say about it: “For a special issue that will be published in Summer 2023, we welcome submissions of environmental writing and art from people who self-identify as BIPOC. We are especially interested in work that explores goals for climate justice, emphasizes intersectionality in relating to more-than-human nature, depicts joy found in both rural and urban environments, and imagines and enacts Black and Indigenous futures.” Submissions close on March 31st.
Kweli Journal
They seek “to publish work of writers and artists of color that is relevant, engaging, and uncompromising”. They are reading submissions through 30 May. Submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are fee-free. Payment is after publication. The deadline is 30th May 2023. Details here and here.
The Healing Muse
This is the annual journal of literary and visual art published by SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Center for Bioethics & Humanities. They publish narratives, memoirs, fiction, poetry, and art, particularly but not exclusively focusing on themes of medicine, illness, disability and healing. They accept prose up to 2,500 words. The magazine submission deadline is 15 April 2023. They also have a poetry prize for medical students and physicians, of $250.
Porridge
They publish a variety of genres, and are open for online and print issues occasionally. They also have a Comfort Food section – “The COMFORT FOODS series publishes creative responses to the relationship between food and culture, identity and cuisine, from people in diaspora or those from various marginalised identities. From eating away exile to 2,000 word philosophical treatises on biryani, we’re here for it. … We’ll accept creative non-fiction, food writing, poetry, and artwork on this theme.” Online magazine submissions will be open during 1-30 April 2023.
Midnight & Indigo They publish work by Black women writers only. They are currently looking for character-driven fiction, all genres are welcome and there are specific genre guidelines for speculative fiction (for speculative fiction, they have a rolling deadline). They are also open to essay submissions. They want a minimum of 1,500 words for fiction and minimum 1,200 words for nonfiction. Pay varies but is listed. Deadline: March 31, 2023 at 11:59pm ET. At the time of writing, they were also open to queries about online teaching positions.
Torch Literary ArtsTorch Literary Arts is a nonprofit organization. They publish and promote creative writing by Black women only; you can read more about them here. They publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers. “We are interested in work that challenges and disrupts preconceived notions of what Black women’s contemporary writing should be.” General submissions are accepted for Friday Features only, in which they publish fiction, hybrid works, poetry, and drama (including that accompanied by video or dramatic audio). Send up to 2,500 for fiction/hybrid works, up to 10 pages for drama, or up to 5 poems. Pay is $100. Submissions are accepted on an ongoing basis; you can submit here.
Tagg MagazineTagg is a US-based queer women’s publication. Their website has several themes they accept articles on, including personal essays, listicles, dating advice and fashion-related content. Articles are 350-1,000 words long and pay $75-175. They welcome pitches for article ideas. See the pitch guide for contributors here.
Bi Woman Quarterly
BWQ features the voices of women “with bi+ sexualities (i.e., bi, pan, fluid, and other non-binary sexualities)” and they see “woman” as a broad category and welcome contributions those who identify as trans, non-binary, cis, etc. They publish articles, creative writing, musings, and more.
Moody
A bi monthly zine that pays their contributors $40 for creative work, and priortizes BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creatives. Their submission guidelines are here.
KOENING ZINE
They publish art, fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction submissions primarily by Asians, but they are open to submissions from non-Asians. Their uniting theme is Asian Folklore. Submitters must be over 18.
Tangled Laces
A magazine focused on publishing writing by queer teen authors between the ages of 14-18.
Fantasy MagazineThis is a digital magazine of fantasy and dark fantasy; send flash or short fiction (up to 7,500 words), or poetry. Pay is $0.08/word for fiction and $40/poem. They are open for submissions by BIPOC authors only for the whole of 2023, with occasional submission windows for all writers. The dates are subject to change.
Arc Poetry Magazine: Crip Lives — Restoring Subjectivity
Arc Poetry Magazine is accepting fee-free submissions for their Crip Lives: Restoring Subjectivity issue, from “artists who live with disability/chronic illness/mental illness and other forms of existence that are impacted by ableism to send us poems, prose, essays, and reviews exploring what it means to be in the world, or your topic of choice”. They pay. The deadline for their Crip Lives issue is 15 May 2023. They list other opportunities too. Details here (general guidelines) and here (Submittable, with theme guidelines).
POETRY SANGO-OTO
We only usually include journals currently open to submissions, but this list is always published on the third Thursday of a given month, and this journal is only open to submissions through the 1st to the 10th of each month, so we are listing it and encouraging you to set a calendar alert for when it reopens on the 1st of the next month. They only publish African poets, and pay N2,500 per poem.
Afternoon VisitorThis is an online quarterly publication of poetry, hybrid text, visual poetry, and visual art, and they’re particularly interested in giving space to trans + queer writers in each issue.
Dream Pop JournalThey welcome submissions from marginalized voices, and are especially interested in publishing work from emerging writers working in experimental, non-narrative forms. “Please send us your strange utterings, hybrid works, collaborative pieces, visual poetry, collages, and linguistic inventions. We hope that you will challenge the limits of what literature can be and that you will share your results with us.” They publish poetry, a speculative diary, visual art, as well as visual poetry & erasure. They are open year-round.
Indecent
This is a space for Queer creators and Queer representation. “You do not have to be Queer to submit, but your work should be related to Queer representation”. Also, “If a connection to the Queer community is not readily apparent in your work, let us know your connection in the body of your submission email or your bio.” Send fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, and multimedia. They have detailed guidelines for each category. They can offer token payment, of $4 or less. They are open to submissions on a rolling basis.
Cosmic Double
Cosmic Double publishes work from underrepresented writers – including, but not limited to, Black, indigenous, & other writers of color; members of the LGBTQ+ community; adopted, displaced, or separated writers; writers without formal education, including high school, college, or masters level degrees; writers with mental or physical disabilities; new & emerging writers. They’re always open for nonfiction submissions (send up to 4 pages); the deadline for fiction and poetry is 1 April 2023 (see Submittable). Details here (guidelines) and here (Submittable).
Class CollectiveTheir website says, this is “An annual literary magazine that illuminates the class struggle(s) hidden in the shadows of our culture.” They accept submissions from all writers. They publish poetry, including visual poetry (up to 5 poems), fiction (up to 5,000 words), essays (pitches and submissions), and commentary — writing that has a class-based perspective on politics and culture. Pay is CAD10 for poetry and CAD20 for prose. Submissions are open on a rolling basis.
Reappropriate: Filipinx American identityReappropriate is an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) race advocacy and feminism blog, focusing on race, gender, identity, Asian American history, and current events. Pay is $75-150 for work of 800-2,500 words.
The Gay & Lesbian Review: Three themesThe Gay & Lesbian Review is a bimonthly magazine of history, culture, and politics targeting an educated readership of LGBT people, and their allies that publishes themed features (2,000-4,000 words), reviews, interviews, and departments. They have announced three themed calls, and they also invite suggestions for future themes.
— The Age of Innocence: Gay life in the time of Wilde
–– The Great Transformation: From bar culture to hookup world
— LGBT Science: New research on gender & sexual orientation
Writers can send proposals or complete pieces. They pay for features ($200) and full-length book reviews ($100).
The Acentos Review
The Acentos Review publishes writing, art, music and multigenre work by Latinx writers. They are open to submissions all year long. Details here.
ALOCASIA
A journal of queer plant-based writing, open on a rolling basis.
Wishbone Words
A new literary journal that publishes work, including poetry, creative nonfiction, personal essays, and illustrations, by chronically ill and disabled writers and artists.
the archipelago
They publish creative work that rewrites the map. Rewriting the map may involve oceans; islands; travel; movement; the decolonial/transcolonial; multilingualism; geography; cartography; displacement; relationships between unlikely places. They primarily publish short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction essays, fine art, photography, film.. They publish work in فارسی , اَلْعَرَبِيَّةُ , Somali, မြန်မာဘာသာ, bahasa Indonesia, español, français and English. While they prioritize writers of color they are open to submissions from all. They pay for accepted work and also have an ongoing mentorship program which you can learn about at the bottom of this page. To submit, visit the link and email pitches@thearchipelago.org.
Craft
This respected literary journal is open to creative work from authors of all backgrounds, but they offer free submissions + fast response times to BIPOC and other mis- and underrepresented writers, here. Craft pays $100 for flash and $200 for short fiction and creative nonfiction.
AlokaThey want work by non-native English speakers only – poetry, translations, fiction, and hybrid work. Send up to 5 poems, or up to 2 prose pieces, up to 2,500 words each.
Spoonie Magazine
Spoonie Magazine is a new weekly digital publication; they published their first volume in June 2022. “We want art, articles, poetry, and prose by disabled, chronically ill, and / or neurodivergent individuals (or their loved ones) that engages with these topics in some way. We’re not looking for any specific form or perspective; we’re looking for honesty.” They publish art, articles, poetry, and prose (including fiction and creative nonfiction). They are always open for submissions. They also have Spoonie Journal, a print journal, which has specific reading periods.
The Lighthouse / Black Girl Projects
The tagline of The Lighthouse is, “Cultivating spaces of solidarity and safety for southern Black girls to shine through focused programming and research.” They have an extensive guide for pitching articles, including “We … are always looking for thought-provoking stories and other content from marginalized communities, Black girls, (in particular, but not exclusively) and gender non-conforming people. In addition to story and long-form story pitches and op-eds, they accept photography and original artwork for their online blogging platform, The Black Girl Times, and their monthly newsletter, The Black Girl Times Redux. Also, “Each month, we have an editorial theme board (kind of like the mood boards interior designers use) we post on our social media accounts (@luvblkgrls). The theme board is intended to be an inspiration and provocation of thoughts, ideas and feelings. Your response(s) can be literal or abstract and loose. And again, it might not have anything to do with anything we’ve seen.” Pay is $0.25-$1/word. Pay for art (graphic design, cartoons and photo essays) is $150-1,000.
Singapore Unbound: SUSPECT
Their website says, “SUSPECT grew out of SP Blog, the blog of the NYC-based literary non-profit Singapore Unbound.” They want poetry, literary fiction, essays, and any kind of writings that do not fall into these categories, written or translated into English by authors who identify as Asian. They also publish reviews of books by Asian authors and interviews with Asian writers and artists. Pay is $100, and there is no deadline listed. Scroll down the page to see the listing.
(The submission page also has details of a themed poetry contest for all writers, the deadline for which is 15th May; the prizes are $300, $200, and $100.)
Hyphen Magazine
Their tagline is “Asian America Unabridged”, and their primary audience is Asian Americans in their 20s and mid 30s. They publish a wide range of work including but not limited to creative nonfiction, original fiction, original poetry, as well as articles pertaining to news, politics, and social justice. They pay $25 per published piece. They are only open to submissions by Asian Americans. They have detailed submission guidelines, please read them carefully.
Breath & Shadow
Breath & Shadow only publishes work from people with disabilities. This is how they define disability: “We use the term “disability” broadly to encompass anyone with a physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, or sensory impairment that significantly affects one or more major life functions.” They accept writing on any topic in terms of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and drama. Pieces do not have to be about disability. The academic or article type nonfiction, including profiles, interviews, and opinion pieces, do have to relate to disability in some way. They pay $20 for poetry and $30 for prose.
Screen Door Review
They only publish work by individuals who are Southern and queer. You can learn more about how they define Southern here. They publish flash fiction and poetry.
Emergent Literary
An exciting new literary journal that accepts a wide range of submissions from Black and Brown authors.
LatinX Lit Audio Mag
LatinX Lit Mag is a safe space for literary work written by authors who identify as Latinx or Hispanic.
smoke and mold: Across/With/Through–Trans Writers in Translation s
moke and mold is a magazine of trans and Two-Spirit nature writing. You can read more about them here and see their Twitter feed here. “The journal will publish 24 issues: 2 each year for 12 years — the amount of time allotted us by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.” For the current submission call, Across/With/Through – Trans Writers in Translation, they say, “The root of this issue is simple: a desire to see more work from trans writers working in a language other than English. How are writers around the globe bending their tools of story and language to push at the strictures and structures of categories, from genre to gender? What is left out of “trans literature” when the only authors included are those working primarily in English? And who are Western audiences missing out on because they aren’t considered “trans enough” in a framework of colonial gender norms reinforced by centuries of war, white supremacy, and eugenics? … We look forward to introducing readers to voices they didn’t know they were missing in our spirit of small, focused issues devoted to uplifting trans writers working today at the intersection of place, geography, land and language.” Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis from authors, translators, and teams working together, with publication in spring 2023. Pay is $100.
Presses/Anthologies
Shortwave Publishing: Wilted Pages – An Anthology of Dark AcademiaThey want horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction horror concerning: Schools, colleges, universities, and/or other educational institutions; Libraries and books; Laboratories and research facilities; Teachers and students; Scholarship and scholarly life; Esoteric/occult learning; Educational technology; The future of learning; The knowledge economy. Also, “Gloomy buildings, secret societies, futuristic boarding schools, gothic yet modern aesthetics, and occult learning are among the pleasures to be found in this subgenre.” Please read their guidelines, including the works they take inspiration from and wish list. Please submit only during the reading period. Length guidelines are 1,000-4,000 words, and pay is $0.05/word
The deadlines are: 24th March for general submissions (submissions from all writers); and 31st March for submissions from underrepresented voices — people of color, LGBTQ2S+, neurodiverse people, people with disabilities, those of marginalized genders.
Through the Portal: Stories from a Hopeful Dystopia, and other calls
They welcome international submission, but 90% of the work for the ‘Through the Portal’ anthology will be from people who live in/have ties to Canada. They have extensive guidelines, including, “Send us your eco-fiction stories or prose poems––literary, magical, speculative, solarpunk, supernatural, slipstream, reimagined folk/fairy tales. We want eco-fiction that envisions imaginaries and relationships in a new or changing world. How do we walk through the portal to the other side? How will we address or overcome the legacy of the past: the negative actors and social constructs, environmental devastation, racism, exploitation, pathologies? … We want submissions from everyone, emerging through established, and from all communities––including but not limited to LGBTQ2S+, Black, Indigenous, marginalized, culturally diverse, the deaf and disabled. Stories can be literary or speculative, with the environment playing an essential role in the narrative. We welcome visual content in the form of illustrations accompanying a story or prose poem, or as graphic stories.” They want works up to 3,500 words, and pay CAD0.05/word. The deadline is 31 May 2023.
(They also have other fee-free projects: ONWAACHIGEWIN – Prophecy and AKI – Mother Earth anthologies, for which they want fiction submissions from Indigenous writers only: First Nation, Inuit, Métis, Status or Non-Status. “We’d also love to consider Indigenous writers who do not live in Canada, but a restriction is that at least 90% of the authors in the anthology must live in Canada, or continue to maintain ties to Canada”. Pay is CAD0.05/word for these anthologies, and the deadline for both anthologies is 31 March 2023. They have detailed guidelines for each anthology, please read those before submitting.)
The Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing SeriesThis opportunity, from Black Lawrence Press, is for immigrants living in the US – for manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid writing. “Poets and authors, at any stage of their careers, who identify as immigrants are welcome to submit a book manuscript of poetry or prose or a hybrid text for consideration. Submissions are accepted year-round. However, selections are made in June and November for a total of two books per year. In addition to publication, marketing, and a standard royalties contract from Black Lawrence Press, authors chosen for the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series will receive a travel stipend of $500, which can be used for book tours or in any manner chosen by the authors.”
North Dakota State University Press: Contemporary Voices of Indigenous Peoples Series
The goal of this series to feature the authentic stories, poetry, and scholarly works of Native Americans, First Nations, Maori, Aborigines, Indians, and more to give voice to contemporary Indigenous peoples. NDSU Press considers book-length manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for publication in this series.
Random House Canada
The Canadian arm of Random House changed their submission policy have opened their policy exclusively to LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC writers, as well as those from other traditionally underrepresented communities. They are particularly looking for “High quality commercial fiction in the following genres: literary, romance, speculative fiction, historical fiction, and mystery. Please note that we do not currently accept screenplays, stage plays, young adult fiction, children’s fiction, or picture book queries. All non-fiction submissions must be submitted via a literary agent.” They are open to submissions internationally, this is not limited to Canadians.
Tundra Books, Puffin Canada, Penguin Teen Canada
These children and teen focused Canadian imprints are open to direct submissions by underrepresented authors and illustrators only. Authors need not be Canadian.
Arsenal Pulp Press
A Canadian independent press that publishes a wide variety of work, prioritizes work by LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors. We have reviewed them here.
Blind Eye Books
Blind Eye Books publishes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and romance novels featuring LGBTQ protagonists. They are a print publisher and their book covers are beautifully designed and really stand out. The books they have published have won and been nominated for a number of awards, including the Lambda. We have reviewed them here.
Peepal Tree Press
The world’s leading publisher of Caribbean and Black British writing publishes around 15 titles a year. They try to respond to all submissions within 20 weeks.
Flashpoint Publications
They historically specialized in publishing books of interest to lesbian readers but their focus expanded a while ago to include LGBTQ+ work. They have been using their re-branded name of Flashpoint Publications for over a year now. They mostly publish popular fiction, but they have also published short stories, essays, and anthologies. They have a nonfiction imprint as well. We have reviewed them here.
Lily
A small poetry press that publishes work of varying length. Submitting shorter work is free for everyone, but submitting poetry manuscripts is free only for poets who identify as Black. They are always open to these submissions.
Sourcebooks
We’ve reviewed Sourcebooks here, and their adult nonfiction imprint and their romance and horror imprints are always open to all submissions, but they also deserve to be on this list because their fiction imprint, their mystery imprint, their young adult imprint, and three of their children’s book imprints, all say “Our submissions are currently CLOSED to unagented projects, with the exception of works that directly promote diversity, equality and inclusion. For more information please email InclusiveFiction@Sourcebooks.com.” So if you have work that matches that description in those genres, please reach out to them.
Forever
The romance imprint of Hachette Book Group and Grand Central Publishing is open to direct submissions from BIPOC-identifying authors.
Angry Robot
A great science fiction publisher that only accepts direct submissions from Black authors.
Scholastic Canada
They are open to direct submissions from Canadian authors or focusing on Canadian content, who are from underrepresented communities, including Black writers, Indigenous writers, writers of colour, writers with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ writers and writers who identify with other marginalized groups.
Heartdrum
Heartdrum is an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, which is edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, and is in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Native and First Nations writers and writer-illustrators are welcome to query her directly via a form on her website. Native and First Nations illustrators are also invited to reach out.
Opportunities/Support/Contests
Audible Indigenous Writer’s Circle
Now entering it’s third year, this program’s goal stated goal is “to elevate the voices of Indigenous peoples in Canada, in an effort to enhance equity and support reconciliation”. It’s a six month mentorship program that pairs emerging writers with Indigenous mentors and also offer immersive workshops with some of the industry’s leading creators, publishers, content managers, writers and marketers. The chosen writers are eligible for a 1,500 CAD bursary to support their participation in the program. All applications are due by Friday, April 14 at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Saving Time. Writers have to meet a number of guidelines to apply for the program, that are detailed on the site.
BlackInk New Writing Competition 2023
Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage and Writing East Midlands are looking for creative writers from the African and African Caribbean Diaspora to submit short stories for the 2023 edition of BlackInk Writing Competition. The award aims to redress the underrepresentation of Black writers and seeks to showcase new short fiction which must be 2,000 words or less. Two winning short stories will be published in issue four BlackInk magazine for Black History Month in October 2023 and each writer will receive £500 and free entry to The Writers’ Conference, which is organised annually by Writing East Midlands to give new writers access to leading publishing industry professionals. Applicants must be 18 years and above. The competition is open to applicants internationally.
Creative Future Writers’ Award Competition 2023
The Creative Future Writers’ Award (CFWA) is a national writing development programme which celebrates talented, underrepresented writers who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, identity, health or social circumstance. The theme for their 10th Awards is ‘X.’ Your work should respond to the theme, implicitly or explicitly, but they’re looking for quality writing first and foremost. The theme is a creative prompt, not a requirement. You can submit ONE piece of writing: Poetry (50 lines max.); Fiction (2000 words max.); or Creative Non-Fiction (2000 words max.) The competition is only open to underrepresented writers in the UK who are 18 years or over. Please ensure you read the rules and eligibility criteria before submitting. Submission can be by email, post, or online. Prizes include cash, mentorship, manuscript assessment, and membership subscriptions. Deadline is May 14, 2023.
Poetry Bulletin Submission Fee Support
This is a confidential, poet-to-poet support. Over $5,000 has been committed to this circle since March 2021, and given to 70 poets so far. It covers submission fees for poetry chapbooks and full-length poetry manuscripts. A maximum of three submissions per poet. This support is designed for poets who cannot otherwise afford to submit their manuscripts to publishers; poets who face barriers of time, access, or energy; and poets who have historically been underrepresented. Support is confidential. If you’re matched with an anonymous supporter, you’ll be asked to keep their identity confidential. There’s no deadline.
Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award
This international grant is for supporting a writer of color in crime fiction writing and career development activities. She or he may choose activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work. This is for an emerging writer (see guidelines). The application process includes a writing sample – an unpublished piece of crime fiction, written with an adult audience in mind. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress, 2,500 to 5,000 words. The award is $2,000; the winner can choose from a range of activities. The deadline is 31 March 2023.
The Restless Book Prize for New Immigrant Writing
This is a prize for a debut literary work by a first-generation immigrant of their country. The prize alternates between fiction and nonfiction. For this cycle, they are reading nonfiction manuscripts. Nonfiction submissions can take the form of a memoir, a collection of essays, or a book-length work of narrative nonfiction. The submission should address some combination of identity, the meeting of cultures and communities, immigration and migration, and today’s globalized society. Nonfiction submissions must consist of either a complete manuscript, or a sample of at least 25,000 words and a detailed proposal that includes a synopsis and an annotated table of contents. All submissions must be in English (translations welcome). Candidates must not have previously published a book of nonfiction in English. Apart from the cash prize, the winner also gets publication. The award is $10,000, and the deadline is 31 March 2023.
Deborah Rogers Foundation: The DRF Writers Award
This is an award for writers of British Commonwealth countries, and Eire (see guidelines for the list of eligible countries). It is for a first-time prose writer whose submission demonstrates literary talent and who would benefit from financial support to complete their work. One of the submission requirements is 15,000 – 20,000 words of a work in progress, fiction or non-fiction, which is not under option or contract.
The first prize is £10,000, and the runner-up gets £1,000. The deadline is 31 March 2023.
Green Stories Project: Superhero Competition
They want a short story (2,000 words) on superheroes saving the planet; this contest is open to writers ages 14+. They want writers to “create an uplifting short story of superheroes that respond to climate change. Imagine your target audience to be teens and young adults that enjoy watching superhero films.
Drawing on your own experiences of climate change, entries from adults that live /have lived in the following countries are especially welcome (but not essential): India, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Niger, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, or Brazil.” They have detailed guidelines/suggestions on the theme. You can add your own illustrations, but this is not necessary; apart from a cash prize of £500, one of the scenes from the winning story will be turned into a 1-page comic strip, made by a professional artist. The submission link will open on their website on 1st April, and the deadline is 15 April 2023. Details here.
Women’s Prize for Playwriting
This is for a play by UK/Ireland based writers who identify as women and nonbinary, and are aged 16 or older. Plays have to be written for the stage (not for radio or screen), can be co-written, and can be in any genre except musicals (though plays with music are accepted). The prize is £12,500, and the deadline is 17 April 2023. Details here, here, and here.
CINTAS Foundation: Fellowship in Creative WritingThis is a creative writing fellowship for writers having Cuban citizenship or direct lineage (having a Cuban parent or grandparent). Applications can be in English or Spanish. Fellows who are not U.S. citizens and who are living abroad must provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number when they accept the fellowship to receive payment. The foundation also offers fellowships for other disciplines – architecture & design, music composition, photography, and visual arts (click the ‘Fellowships’ tab on the page). The award is $20,000, and the deadline is 1 May 2023.
The Africa Institute: Global Africa Translation Fellowship
The fellowship welcomes applications from across the Global South for a grant to complete translations of works from the African continent and its diaspora, into English or Arabic. This is a non-residential fellowship. Projects may be retranslations of old, classic texts, previously untranslated works, poetry, prose, or critical theory collections. The project may be a work-in-progress, or a new project feasible for completion within the timeframe of the grant. Application includes a translation sample. The award is $1,000-5,000, and the deadline is 1 June 2023.
Red Hen Press Ann Petry Award
This is for a work of previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages, by a Black writer. The award is $3,000 and publication. The deadline is 31 July 2023.
International Thriller Writers Scholarships
They are awarding two separate scholarships for ThrillerFest 2023: one scholarship to a BIPOC author writing a thriller manuscript featuring a BIPOC protagonist, and one scholarship to an unpublished author who is writing a mystery/thriller novel (80-100k words). Each scholarship recipient will receive a cash stipend of $1,000 and a free pass to attend ThrillerFest XVIII, which takes place May 30 – June 3, 2023 in New York City. One of the application requirements is a writing sample. Application is via a form. The deadline is 20 March 2023.
Society of Authors: Dursilla Harvey Access Fund
These are small grants for UK-based/British writers, giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats. Usual grants will be under £100 and no more than £350. They are accepted on a rolling basis starting 1 January 2023, and they are accepting applications on an ongoing basis.
(Society of Authors also has awards for works in progress as well as contingency funds – all their grants are here.)
PEN America: US Writers Aid Initiative
This is intended to assist fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists, who are facing acute financial need following an emergency situation. To be eligible, applicants must be based in the United States, be professional writers, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping them to address a short-term emergency situation; there are other eligibility requirements, too. This grant is not for subsidizing writing-related expenses. Writers do not have to be PEN members to apply. Various deadlines are listed for 2023 (subject to change): 1 April, 1 July, and 1 October.
The Writing Barn Scholarship
The Writing Barn has a small but budding scholarship program available for our programming. Scholarships are awarded on the following criteria: seriousness of purpose, talent and financial need. They also offer specific Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity scholarships for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Neurodiverse writers, and writers with disabilities.
Emergency Fund for Diverse Creatives and Educators
WNDB provides emergency grants to diverse authors, illustrators, publishing professionals, and K-12 educators who are experiencing dire financial need. They aim to bolster these marginalized groups by giving grants between $500 and $1,000 each.
Forward Funds: Creative Capital x Skoll Foundation Creator Fund
The crowdsourcing platform for creatives, Kickstarter, now has Forward Funds. Their website says, “Forward Funders are foundations, nonprofits, and organizations that back Kickstarter campaigns related to their visions and missions around a more creative and equitable world. Each Forward Funder makes a public commitment and then backs projects just like anyone else—through single pledges that bring the works one step closer to reality.” One such fund is the $500,000 Creative Capital x Skoll Foundation Fund. This backs projects by Asian, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx creators in the US on the crowdfunding platform – “Effective immediately, funds will be awarded on an ongoing basis to creators with active projects across all of Kickstarter’s categories: Arts, Comics & Illustration, Design & Tech, Film, Food & Craft, Games, Music, and Publishing.” Projects launched on Kickstarter following their rules are eligible, and creators can nominate themselves for specific Forward Funds via a form. This is for both, creators and organizations.
BIPOC scholarship for Emily Harstone’s classes at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish
Each time Emily Harstone offers a class through the Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish, there is now an opportunity for one to two writers who identify as BIPOC to take it for free. If you registered last year, please note that the form re-set in January, and you are encouraged to fill it out again. Last year about 50 people who filled out the form, and out of that 14 received a scholarship.
